Newcastle vs QPR

 

Newcastle United are coming off the back of an impressive 3-0 home win against Manchester United. They currently sit seventh in the table and are just four points off a Champions League spot after twenty games. The exploits of star striker Demba Ba has elevated them to the echelons of European hopefuls this season.

 

However, Ba has just departed for the African Nations along with key midfielder Cheik Tiote. They will also be missing club captain Stephen Taylor at centre back who is out injured for the remainder of the season.  Therefore, Newcastle enter into this game missing what is arguably the spine of their team and three of their best players. As we saw with Manchester City in the midweek Carling Cup game, it is an almost impossible task for a team to maintain their highest performance levels whilst missing so many crucial players. This will be the challenge for Newcastle over the next few weeks, starting with the game on Sunday.

 

If we turn our attention to the visitors, QPR, we see a club whose fortunes may be about to turn. Situated near the foot of the table, just a solitary point above the relegation zone, the board decided to relieve Neil Warnock of his managerial duties and replace him with Mark Hughes. Whenever a team brings in a new manager with a reputation like Hughes, as punters, we must be aware of the “bounce factor” this can give to a team. Training is transformed, enthusiasm and confidence returns to the team and results inevitably improve. The recent appointment of Martin O’Neil at Sunderland is a perfect example of this. Unfortunately, it may not be plain sailing for Hughes from day one due to the absences in midfield of the suspended Joey Barton and Alejandro Faurlin through injury. However, QPR have shown a relative strength away from home winning more games on their travels than at Loftus Road this season. This shows us that the squad does not mind playing on the road and facing a weakened Newcastle team, they will be fully motivated to pick up their first points under Hughes’s stewardship.

I would have thought Hughes will adopt a cautious approach for his first game in charge due to the distinct lack of firepower up front. He will be aware that Newcastle will pose less of threat going forward without Ba and will be confident of defending well against the muted threat of the home team. This would be akin to the style he adopted when taking over at Blackburn Rovers, who were also battling relegation at the time of his arrival.

I think Newcastle are overpriced after we take into account their absentees. I also feel there is value in Under 2.5 goals due to the lack of firepower in both teams.

 
Selection

2 points on Under 2.5 Goals @ 13/14 with 188bet